ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. bank — of a river
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com